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Legal Ethics
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September 30, 2024
Leon Black Can't Duck Sex Assault Suit Or Sanction Wigdor
Ex-Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black cannot dodge a lawsuit accusing him of raping an autistic teenager in 2002, as New York City's extension of the time limit to file the suit is not preempted by state law, a New York federal judge has ruled.
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September 30, 2024
Atty Accused Of Trying To Win Back Client With Loan
The Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff PLLC, a New York personal injury firm, has accused competitor Harmon Linder & Rogowsky of offering a former client a loan after learning they were being booted as counsel.
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September 30, 2024
DC Ethics Hearing Starts For 3 Attys Over 2020 Election Suits
Three attorneys "essentially weaponized their law licenses" to subvert the will of voters and undermine public confidence in elections when they worked on lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 presidential contest, a lawyer with the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel told an ethics committee in the nation's capital on Monday.
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September 30, 2024
Del. Justices Asked To Revive Malpractice Suit Against Firms
Parents who hired Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico LLC and Schochor Staton Goldberg and Cardea PA to pursue claims that contamination from a Mountaire Corp. chicken plant caused "catastrophic injuries" to their child are urging Delaware's Supreme Court to revive their malpractice suit against the firms, saying they didn't "have an adequate opportunity to litigate."
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September 30, 2024
'Rust' Armorer's Conviction Stands Despite Evidence Scandal
A New Mexico judge on Monday refused to throw out "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter conviction or order a new trial based on allegations of prosecutorial misconduct that tanked the state's high-profile case against actor-producer Alec Baldwin.
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September 27, 2024
Fla. Timeshare Biz Wins $1.3M Fee Award In False Ad Suit
A Florida federal judge has awarded more than $1.3 million in attorney fees to a timeshare company that prevailed in a lawsuit against a Wyoming company over a false advertising scheme encouraging customers to stop paying for their properties, after agreeing the marketers pursued an "exceptionally weak case" that would not succeed.
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September 27, 2024
Giuliani Keeps Condo If He's In Fla. 'State Of Mind,' Judge Told
Rudy Giuliani's lawyer told a New York federal judge Friday that whether the ex-New York City mayor's Florida condo can be taken to help satisfy a $148 million defamation trial bill hinges not on whether he spends any time in Florida but on his residency "state of mind."
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September 27, 2024
Ex-Conn. Police Chief Drops Atty Fee Ask After Lawsuit Win
The former police chief in Newington, Connecticut, dropped his demand for attorney fees after defamation claims against him were dropped and a state court judge ordered that, in order to collect, his lawyer may have to testify at an upcoming hearing.
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September 27, 2024
Texas Judge Lets Paxton Probe Of Immigration Nonprofit Go On
Nonprofit legal services provider Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center lost a bid on Friday to halt the Texas attorney general's investigation of the organization's activities, with a federal judge saying the group waited too long to file its complaint.
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September 27, 2024
Valve Corp. May Continue Wash. 'Patent Troll' Claims
Video game patent holder Leigh Rothschild, his company Rothschild Broadcast Distribution Systems LLC and his legal team from Meyler Legal PLLC cannot escape a federal suit alleging they violated the state of Washington's anti-troll laws in pursuing bogus patent claims against video game maker and online game store operator Valve Corp.
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September 27, 2024
Disbarred Ex-DA Must Face Rival's Malicious Prosecution Suit
A Colorado federal judge on Thursday declined to throw out a malicious prosecution claim by a former elected district attorney alleging his disbarred successor falsely charged him with felony embezzlement, concluding that the disbarred prosecutor is not entitled to absolute or qualified immunity.
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September 27, 2024
Calif. Atty's Fee Bid Against LegalMatch Denied At Appeal
A California state appeals court has affirmed a trial court ruling denying a Torrance-based lawyer's bid for $940,000 in attorney fees in his suit against attorney referral service LegalMatch.
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September 27, 2024
Texas Bar Seeks Non-Atty Rule Changes To Fill Justice Gap
The State Bar of Texas on Friday laid out a series of proposed changes to pending rules set forth by the state Supreme Court for allowing non-attorneys to perform some legal services, citing the need to increase the educational requirements and prohibit certain fee arrangements.
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September 27, 2024
Honigman Not Conflicted Out Of $40M Detroit Embezzling Suit
A Michigan state judge said Friday that the law firm that investigated suspected fraud at the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy can also represent the organization in its civil suit against its former chief financial officer, who is accused of embezzling $40 million.
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September 27, 2024
Ex-Partners Blast Lin Wood's Constitutional Fight Over Fees
Former law partners of retired Georgia attorney L. Lin Wood said Wood can't escape being on the hook for their attorney fees after he was hit with a $3.75 million defamation verdict, saying that Wood's argument calling the fees unconstitutional flies in the face of 150 years of the state's case law.
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September 27, 2024
Lawyer Wields Blank Rome Atty Voicemail To Bolster DQ Bid
An attorney who is suing three lawyers from Blank Rome LLP and has asked a federal court to disqualify the firm's other attorneys from representing their colleagues — alleging they contacted one of her witnesses — told the court Friday she accessed a phone message that strengthens her arguments.
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September 27, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Conn. Firm's Data Breach
A Connecticut personal injury firm's insurance company says it won't foot the bill for claims stemming from a hacker breaking into the firm's email system and stealing over $750,000 from a client, saying the firm's professional liability policy excluded "cyber security events."
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September 27, 2024
NJ Atty Reprimanded For Keeping Client In Dark On Fee Hike
The New Jersey Supreme Court has reprimanded a criminal defense attorney for failing to provide a client with a retainer or any bills for over four years until notifying the client that, due to an unannounced rate change, the client owed over $170,000.
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September 27, 2024
Houston Firm Gets Time In Zeta MDL To Fend Off DQ Bid
A Texas state judge overseeing a multidistrict litigation created to handle claims stemming from Hurricane Zeta agreed Friday to give a Houston law firm more time to respond to a disqualification bid from plaintiff firm Arnold & Itkin, which says an ex-law clerk who now works for the defense improperly accessed relevant case files.
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September 27, 2024
NY Judge Resigns Amid Probe Into Jan. 6 Rally Attendance
A non-attorney New York judge resigned from the bench amid the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct's investigation into allegations that include attending former President Donald Trump's Jan. 6, 2021, rally in Washington, D.C.
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September 27, 2024
Cooley Accused Of Hiding Fraud From Startup Investors
A former board member of a dry-cleaning delivery startup has alleged in New Jersey federal court that Cooley LLP and its attorneys deliberately kept investors in the dark about fraud claims against the startup's chief executive.
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September 27, 2024
Gunster Says Absence Of Damages Sinks Data Breach Case
Gunster Yoakley & Stewart PA wants a proposed class action lawsuit against it tossed in Florida federal court, arguing plaintiffs who had their personal information compromised when the law firm fell victim to a cyberattack can't show any harm was done.
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September 27, 2024
Ill. Justices Won't Hear Baker McKenzie's London Transfer Bid
Illinois' top court has declined to take on a petition from Chicago-based Baker McKenzie urging the justices to send to London a malpractice suit accusing the firm of botching a client's bid to reacquire a Russian coal mine.
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September 26, 2024
Donziger Unveils Plan To Launch Impact Litigation Fund
Sitting before an intimate audience of environmental investors and business leaders, disbarred environmental lawyer Steven Donziger recounted his 30-year battle with Chevron Corp. and its predecessor Texaco Inc. in Manhattan on Thursday, before laying out his plan to launch an impact litigation fund.
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September 26, 2024
Keller Postman Defends Hitting Tubi With 23K Arbitration Claims
Keller Postman LLC on Wednesday defended filing arbitration demands against Tubi Inc. without waiting 45 days after providing notice of claims, and urged a D.C. federal judge to toss the TV content platform's lawsuit, arguing that arbitration is the only route its clients have to dispute the enforceability of the contractual delay.
Expert Analysis
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.
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How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
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Nev. Insurance Law May Mean Turmoil In Liability Market
Nevada's new law prohibiting insurers from issuing or renewing defense-within-limits liability policies in the state could cause professional liability insurers to withdraw certain products or prohibitively increase premiums — and while an emergency regulation allows for exceptions, the situation remains fluid, says Joshua Leach at Atheria Law.
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Lessons From High-Profile Witness Tampering Allegations
As demonstrated by recent developments in the cases against former President Donald Trump and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, allegations of witness tampering can carry serious consequences — but attorneys can employ certain strategies to mitigate the risk that accusations arise, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.
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Covington Ruling Strengthens SEC's Enforcement Powers
A Washington, D.C., federal court’s recent order that Covington & Burling provide the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with the identities of its clients in response to a subpoena reinforces the agency’s broad authority to investigate cybersecurity violations, and suggests law firms must take steps to strengthen data privacy, say Elisha Kobre and Ryan Dean at Bradley Arant.
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'Blind Side' Family Case Is A Cautionary Tale For Attorneys
Former NFL player Michael Oher's recent allegations against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy that they never legally adopted him and tricked him into conservatorship — which paint a very different picture than the 2009 film "The Blind Side" — demonstrate the importance of attorney due diligence and safeguards against abuse of process, says Roland Weekley at Smith Gambrell.
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The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.
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To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation
Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.
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Ethics Issues For Mainland Firms Involved In Maui Fire Suits
Before law firms located outside of Hawaii represent clients affected by the Lahaina wildfires, they must be aware of local ethics rules and regulatory gray areas, as any any ethical missteps could have major ramifications for the firm's practice in its home jurisdiction, says Ryan Little at Klinedinst.